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Rates of Testicular Cancer Increasing in Young Hispanic Men

Article date:
July 15, 2014

By Stacy Simon

The rates of testicular cancer are rising faster in young Hispanic men in the U.S. than in their non-Hispanic peers, according to a study by researchers in Seattle. The researchers found the rate of testicular germ cell tumors among Hispanic white men ages 15 to 39 increased 58% between 1992 and 2010. During that same time period and among the same age group, the rate of testicular germ cell tumors among non-Hispanic white men increased 7%.

More than 90% of testicular cancers are testicular germ cell tumors. They develop in cells called germ cells, which make sperm. The average age of men diagnosed with testicular cancer is 33. It can usually be treated successfully. And while it is not a common cancer, the rates of new cases have been increasing in the U.S. and many other countries for the last several decades. Most recently, however, according to the researchers, the rate of increase has slowed in non-Hispanic white men.

The Seattle study is the first to analyze testicular cancer trends in Hispanic men between 1992 and 2010, the latest dates for which data is available. The researchers used information from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, which collects cancer statistics.

Even with the increased rates among Hispanic men, non-Hispanic white men still have a higher risk of being diagnosed with testicular cancer during their lifetime. If current trends continue, however, the researchers say that could change. They say more research is needed to understand why the rates of testicular cancer among Hispanic men are increasing. Research is also needed to analyze whether the trends are similar among subgroups of Hispanic ethnicities.